Ehrlichia in South African Dogs

The disease that creeps

Ehrlichia is a bacterial organism transmitted by the brown dog tick, which infects white blood cells. Unlike biliary, which announces itself within days, ehrlichia often takes weeks to produce signs and can persist quietly for months.

It moves through three phases: an acute phase that many owners never notice, a subclinical phase where the dog appears normal, and a chronic phase that can be severe and difficult to treat.

What to look for

• Recurring fever that comes and goes
• Weight loss without an obvious cause
• Nosebleeds, or pinpoint red spots on the gums, belly or inner ear flap
• Bruising from minor knocks
• Cloudiness or redness in one or both eyes
• Swollen lymph nodes under the jaw or behind the knee
• General lethargy that does not resolve

The bleeding signs are the giveaway. Ehrlichia drops platelets, so a dog that bruises easily or has an unexplained nosebleed should be tested.

Why it gets missed

A dog in the subclinical phase looks well. Routine bloods may show only a mildly low platelet count, which is easy to dismiss.

Owners often only present the dog once the chronic phase has arrived, by which point the bone marrow can be suppressed and recovery is much harder.

If your dog has had a heavy tick burden and something is subtly not right over weeks rather than days, ask specifically about ehrlichia testing.

Testing and treatment

Testing is by antibody test or PCR, sometimes alongside a platelet count. Your vet may treat on suspicion in a high-exposure dog while results are pending.

Treatment is doxycycline, typically for three to four weeks and sometimes longer. Finish the entire course even when your dog looks better after a week — stopping early is how chronic cases develop.

Expect roughly R1,000 to R3,500 for diagnosis and a full course in an uncomplicated case.

Prevention

The brown dog tick is a household tick. It lives in cracks, kennels, skirting and bedding rather than only in the veld, which is why infestations recur indoors.

Treat the dog and the environment together. Wash bedding hot, treat kennels and cracks, and keep every dog on the property on the same preventative schedule.